


The Philosopher and The Queen

by Theyna_Shipper



Series: Star Wars One-Shots [32]
Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: Also Senator!Ben, Alternate Universe - Politics, Brief mentions of sex work, Chekhov's Gun, F/M, HEA, Me pretending I know things about politics, Post-TLJ, Senator Ben Solo, Senator!Rey, Senators, Tension, not graphic, please be nice to me, some blood, terrorist attacks
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-06
Updated: 2020-10-06
Packaged: 2021-03-08 09:47:01
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,748
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26849896
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Theyna_Shipper/pseuds/Theyna_Shipper
Summary: The new Galactic Senate was posed as the Order’s biggest concession in the negotiations. Rey had a sneaking suspicion that it was what he wanted all along, but feigning reluctance made it more favorable both to the rest of the Order, and the Resistance.“Please let me go.”“We start appointing Senators tomorrow,” Kylo continues, impassive, “And I think you should be one.”“You want me,” Rey repeats. “The uneducated desert rat who left Jakku all of six months ago. Who had never even met a politician until now.”“We don’t need more bureaucrats,” he insists. “The Senate will have more than it needs. We need people like you. Who know the problems in the galaxy, who have lived through them. Who will assert themselves and fight for what they know is right.”“And what makes you think I want to  be a Senator?” she hisses, trying not to let in his words.“You want to make the world a better place.” He walks away from the door, leaving her free to go. “Think about it.”
Relationships: Rey/Ben Solo | Kylo Ren
Series: Star Wars One-Shots [32]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1637683
Comments: 9
Kudos: 51





	The Philosopher and The Queen

**Author's Note:**

> Hello! Here's a senate au I've been working on for a while! I hope you like it, please leave a comment if you do. I hope my lack of political knowledge is not evident XD
> 
> TW: Terrorist attack, violence (not graphic)

Their fingertips brush as Be- Kylo- passes her the pen. But this time, there is no spark running down her spine as their hands touch, no thrill of the unknown. 

The line for her to sign her name is clearly marked, among the hundreds of others for everyone else signing the last peace treaty to end the war. 

The pen scratches against the white paper, no ink coming out. 

“Do you need-”

“No,” Rey grits out. “It’s fine.” She scratches the pen against the paper a few more times, until enough ink comes out for her to scribble _Rey_ onto the line. 

Finally, the last signature decorates the bottom line of the document.

It has been four months since the death of Supreme Leader Snoke. Four months since the first official cease-fire, and four months of peace negotiations until they are standing here, officially ending the war. Tomorrow the formation of the New Galactic Senate will begin, with Kylo at the helm. 

She tucks the pen into her pocket. It’s not really broken. It just needs a little time.

* * *

“Lieutenant.”

Rey quickens her pace, not wanting to talk to Kylo. Not after everything. 

_”You come from nothing.”_

He increases his strides to match hers. 

“I wanted to speak with you.”

“I don’t believe we have anything to talk about.”

He stands in front of her to block the door. “About the Senate.”

The new Galactic Senate was posed as the Order’s biggest concession in the negotiations. Rey had a sneaking suspicion that it was what he wanted all along, but feigning reluctance made it more favorable both to the rest of the Order, and the Resistance. 

“Please let me go.” 

“We start appointing Senators tomorrow,” he continues, impassive, “And I think you should be one.”

_”You’re nobody.”_

“You want me,” she repeats. “The uneducated desert rat who left Jakku all of six months ago. Who had never even met a politician until now.”

“We don’t need more bureaucrats,” he insists. “The Senate will have more than it needs. We need people like you. Who know the problems in the galaxy, who have lived through them. Who will assert themselves and fight for what they know is right.”

“And what makes you think _I_ want to be a Senator?” she hisses, trying not to let in his words. 

“You want to make the world a better place.” He walks away from the door, leaving her free to go. “Think about it.”

_”But not to me.”_

* * *

The official appointment comes two weeks later. It is worded in cold, formal language, signed by both Kylo and Leia. They _’await her response’_ apparently. 

There is no compliment on her passion and morality. (Not that she appreciated that, she tells herself). 

She accepts the two-year appointment. 

Kylo Ren (though he has claimed the name of his grandmother, the great politician, and calls himself Chancellor Amidala) swears her in. 

She takes her seat as the lone senator representing Jakku. 

She does exactly what he said she would do. She fights tooth and nail for every improvement she can get, to even be allowed onto the Senate floor, because what’s some nobody from Jakku doing there?

Her best, that’s what she’s doing.

* * *

Two years pass before she speaks to Ben- the _Chancellor_ \- again, alone. 

They can’t avoid seeing each other. They work together near-daily, pass each other in the hall, in the parking lot. 

They both live in Coruscant. (Well, legally she is a resident of Jakku, but as a Senator she spends most of her time in the city). 

She is running for re-election. Her two-year appointment is up- those were just for while the Senate was getting on its feet, and things were too chaotic for an election. 

She is running with next-to-no real opposition, because Jakku is so used to unofficial oligarchies that having actual political power is new to them. But Rey seems like she is doing a good job. The poor workers, they feel like Rey understands them. The rich jerks, like Plutt- well, turns out there aren’t enough of them to make a real difference in voting. They’re just rich and loud. 

But right now she doesn’t have time to focus on the election. The anti-slavery bill that she has been pushing for _two goddamn years_ is still stalling, just as they are trying to put it to a vote. And she doesn’t understand why there is so much opposition to it (but apparently doing it all at once will be _‘bad for the economy’ _’, or so they say) but she finally has it slimmed down enough to be confident that it will get through.__

__It’s at the end of this exhausting day that Rey finds herself in a break room, getting herself a cup of the caf._ _

__Except she’s not alone._ _

__Chancellor Amidala (whom she has never seen taking a break, never seen outside of the senate floor) is there, pouring himself a cup of caf._ _

__She nods respectfully. “Chancellor.”_ _

__“Senator.”_ _

__Wordlessly, he hands her a cup of black caf and a small packet of sweetener. Knowing how she takes her caf without even asking. Because even after two years, they still _know_ each other in little ways, always on the fringes of their thoughts. Because their stupid bond won’t close all the way, no matter how hard they try. _ _

__It aggravates her. But it also makes her feel heard. Understood. And she hates that._ _

__“So, the vote is next week,” he says, so _casually_ , like they talk with each other all the time. _ _

__“Yes,” she replies curtly._ _

__“I’m surprised you are sending the bill through in its current state.”_ _

__“And what is that supposed to mean?”_ _

__“Weak,” he says harshly. “It is weak.”_ _

__“It’s everything we can do right now.”_ _

__“Did you actually _read_ it?” he hisses. “This is _barely_ a slavery ban. It doesn’t free criminals, debt slaves… _you_ were paying off a ‘debt’ Rey.”_ _

__“I’m doing everything I can,” she growls back. “I can’t afford to be big and splashy. I need to get this through the vote. I need to get re-elected so I can keep working.”_ _

__He shakes his head. “You’ve changed.”_ _

__“I’ve changed,” she echoes angrily._ _

__He nods. “You used to be so passionate. Unforgiving, even. You wouldn’t settle for anything less than what you deserved. You were a tough negotiator, and you believed something was right you would not give up on it.” He studies her. “I loved that about you.”_ _

__Rey does not even have time to respond, or even think of a response before he continues._ _

__“But now you’re- you let yourself become part of this machine. You talk like them, live like them, wear their clothes. You think like them. Like you have to settle for evil to get some good. Like the world just _has_ to be this way.”_ _

__“And you’re _not_ one of them?”_ _

__“I am, and I always have been,” he replies. “But you weren’t. And I’m sorry I brought you into this life.”_ _

__Rey fumes. “You know what? I _like_ this life. I like wearing suits and heels. I like having a cat and living in an apartment. I like complaining about bad caf and then drinking it anyway. I like all of it.” _ _

__Ben is studying her with a trace of a smile on his lips. “No,” he decides. “No, you haven’t changed. You’re still- you.” Standing there fiercely defending her right to live how she wants, to be who she wants, he sees she is still the same strong and fiery Rey he knew._ _

__Rey is still sputtering as he walks out, trying to parse all that._ _

__Because in the course of one conversation, he judged her for changing, told her he loved her, and decided she hadn’t changed._ _

__But maybe that is just how things would always be with Ben._ _

__(And she doesn’t let the bill go to vote the way it is.)_ _

__(And when it finally does, she knows it is right.)_ _

__(And when the Chancellor asks for _all in favor_ , he looks at her with… something… in his eyes.)_ _

__(But she is just here to do her job.)_ _

* * *

__Perhaps this conversation should have made things even more strange between them- but in a way, it’s like an earthquake. Tension will keep building at the fault, but at least some of it has been released, for now._ _

__In other words, it makes conversation somehow _acceptable._ They nod at each other in the hallways. They can speak to each other, quietly, tensely, and impersonally, but speaking nonetheless._ _

__A year passes like this. He is a quiet presence in Rey’s life, rather than a conspicuous blank space._ _

__“A proper governor for Jakku,” he murmurs as they stand next to each other. “So the rumors are true.”_ _

__“Depends what rumors you’re talking about.” She pretends to watch the Holoscreen._ _

__“That you will be running?”_ _

__Rey clenches her first. “And where did you hear that?”_ _

__“Let’s not play games. Are you or are you not?”_ _

__Rey exhales. “Suppose, for a moment, I was.”_ _

__“I think you would be wonderful,” he replies. “You know what the people need. You know how to get it done. They love you, and you are the single most electable person on the field. I can’t think of a better person for the job.”_ _

__“So you think I should-”_ _

__“I think there’s no way in hell you should run.”_ _

__“I’m sorry?”_ _

__“You _hate_ Jakku,” and before she can come up with an enraged response, he is speaking again “You don’t hate the people of Jakku. But you hate Jakku. It punished you when you did nothing wrong, held you prisoner for years. You buried part of yourself on Jakku and you don’t want to go back for it.” She can feel his gaze out of the corner of her eyes. “Stay here.”_ _

__Nothing he says is untrue._ _

__“I’m not Jakku anymore,” she agrees. “I can help them, but I can’t _be_ them. I’m Coruscant now, and I like it.”_ _

__He smiles a little at her, and she smiles a little back._ _

__Another Senator comes looking for Rey for advice on something._ _

__“Chancellor,” she says with a nod._ _

__“Senator.”_ _

* * *

__“Semiramis was a surprise.”_ _

__“I’ve been grooming her for the position since she joined me,” Rey replies coolly. “I don’t know what all the fuss is about.”_ _

__He cocks an eyebrow. “She used to be a prostitute.”_ _

__“I used to be a scavenger. You used to be a Jedi.”_ _

__“I used to be many things,” he retorts. “But you don’t expect this to be a complication for the campaign?”_ _

__“She is used to being called a whore. The novelty will fade quickly,” Rey says. “Her political expertise is far more noteworthy.” She reaches for her HoloPad as a notification appears, already headed for the door._ _

__“Rey?”_ _

__“Yes?”_ _

__“We’ve come a long way.”_ _

__

__The scavenger studies the villain, the chancellor returns the senator’s gaze, the girl and the boy lock eyes from across the room._ _

__“Yes, we have.”_ _

* * *

__And has another year passed already?_ _

__Surely four years should not pass this quickly. Yet she has the calendars and papers to prove it, buried at the bottom of a drawer._ _

__(They are her tally marks on the wall. Somehow, she still cannot give them up.)_ _

__The ‘big-ticket’ items have mostly been checked off. The import things that raise people from the ashes. But the less flashy reforms still, and probably always will, remain, as the world keeps on changing. Now that she’s been in the senate for four years, this is what her job is _really_ about. _ _

__And if she ever had an idealistic view of politics, it’s long gone. She knows the world of backstabbing, deceit, and bribery. She’s learned to navigate it, and even use it, while still keeping her morals about her. She’s learned that sometimes you have to take some of the bad to achieve good._ _

__What she hasn’t learned is how to prepare for this._ _

__“The chancellor is one of the most important swing votes on this bill.”_ _

__The Laborer’s Union is important, Rey knows. But he is hesitant on whether this should really be centralized, or local._ _

__Rey knows that making something like this will not work at a local level. So many of the economies, now that they cannot rely on slave labor, are treating their workers like trash. They need protection._ _

__“I know.” Much of the Senate follows his lead on important votes, which isn’t surprising. But his hesitancy on the Union bill is very much worrying its supporters._ _

__“We need you to talk to him,” the Twi'lek Senator says bluntly._ _

__“Why me?” Because something felt _wrong_ about this, about sending her. Something forbidden, like this was the line they couldn’t cross. To talk about something that actually meant something. Like they’d have to acknowledge this, that they were really working together. That maybe they liked it. _ _

__“You have similar inclinations. He’s been with you on most issues. He is more likely to listen to you than anyone else.” The look that concludes this sentence finishes it silently: _for whatever reason.__ _

__Unable to argue, Rey prints out a physical copy of the wording of the bill, and takes it to the Chancellor’s office. Hardly anyone uses paper anymore, but she knows how he likes to scribble his own notes in the margin, and how doing it with a holopad and stylus just _isn’t the same_ , and how fussy he is about ink. (She didn’t even ask him. She just knew.)_ _

__“Senator. To what do I owe the pleasure?” He gestures to a chair_ _

__Rey sets her folder down on the desk. “If you were anyone else, I might start with a little pretense, but I have a feeling we’re both too smart for that.”_ _

__“Ought I to be flattered?” And he speaks with such teasing formality, that tells her this is not _quite_ how he might talk to another Senator, but he’s still a gentleman for goodness’ sake. _ _

__“Intelligence isn’t always a virtue,” she replies coolly. “I’m here to court your vote.”_ _

__“You really don’t like pretense,” he agrees with a chuckle. “Very well. Tell me why I should support this bill.”_ _

__Here’s her strong suit. Not sucking up to the senators from more important planets, not smiling and shaking hands for the camera. It’s standing for her projects on their merit, defending with words and deeds._ _

__“It protects the most vulnerable individuals, those without whom the galaxy could not function,” she begins. “Without the mechanics, the pilots, and all the other laborers in the galaxy, everything we take for granted wouldn’t be able to function. Which is why they need protection. We need to assure that they won’t be abused. Their work is essential and so is their safety.”_ _

__He nods, inviting her to continue. His look almost seems to challenge. _Impress me.__ _

__“You’re right that local governments should have plenty of autonomy. But something like this- that’s relevant, and _critical_ everywhere, the only people we can trust to do it properly are ourselves.” She smiles slightly. “When we say we want to make the galaxy better, we have to remember every part. We can’t forget anything just because it’s less glamorous or we have to think harder about it.” _ _

__He locks eyes with her as she finishes, and at the moment, she is transported to a different time, a different universe, on a different path._ _

___Rey sits across a dinner table from Ben. It is just the two of them, quietly enjoying a vegetable soup with fancy bread that Rey has never heard of. She swirls a glass of red wine in her hand as she continues in a friendly argument with him._ _ _

___“When we say we want to make the galaxy better, we have to remember every part. We can’t forget anything just because it’s less glamorous or we have to think harder about it.”_ _ _

___“You’re right.” Ben smiles warmly. “Which is why we’re thinking hard, darling.”_ _ _

___She reaches for his hand across the table, the simple silver wedding band glistening-_ _ _

__Rey stands up abruptly, causing the legs of the chair to squeak roughly against the floor. “You know what? The bill speaks for itself. Read it. I know you’ll do what you feel is right.”_ _

__She uses what remains of her composure to walk out of his office, heels clicking on the floor._ _

__Then she goes home and feeds her cat._ _

__Then she sinks to the floor and buries her head in her hands._ _

__“All in favor?” Chancellor Amidala asks at the vote, two days later._ _

__Rey shakily raises her hand._ _

__So does he._ _

* * *

__Another year passes._ _

__The galaxy celebrates five years from the end of the war. The senate celebrates not-quite five years of existence. Rey celebrates- Rey doesn’t know what she celebrates. But everything feels right, and good, and she _feels_ like celebrating. But maybe that, in itself, is her reason for celebrating. _ _

__Chancellor Amidala resigns after having been at the helm of this for five years. He is ready to retire to a private life, to allow a democratically elected chancellor to take his place._ _

__As Rey walks onto the Senate floor the day after this is announced, something feels distinctly _off_. Ben looks tired. There is an indistinct buzzing in the back of her head that makes her feel on edge. _ _

__But maybe she’s just tired._ _

__There is not actually a lot of work for her to do today.Several school groups are touring the Senate Building, so she helps show them around and answers their questions. The children are eager and charming, and she quickly feels relaxed, forgetting about her apprehension._ _

__Then, just as she finishes a conversation with a student, she feels a sharp pain in her temples. It feels like an alarm going off inside her brain._ _

__Like a warning from the Force._ _

__She locks eyes with Chancellor Amidala across the room. _I felt it too._ _ _

__“Get down,” Rey whispers as shock flows through her. Those near her stare in confusion, before she snaps out of her reverie. “GET DOWN!”_ _

__Some people immediately drop, others just look around in confusion. “There's a bomb,” she repeats. “Get down!”_ _

__Panic spreads through the room, people falling on the floor or running to the exits._ _

__“She’s right; do as she says!” Ben shouts. “Get the kids under the desks. Don’t crowd the exits.”_ _

__Rey directs a teacher to usher the kids under her desk; she stands up and watches while everyone else shelters or calls security. Rey knows they won’t get there in time to be useful. The alarm in her head is growing ever more urgent._ _

__She and Ben know what to do without even thinking. They open the bond for the first time in five years, and for a moment it’s just pure _bliss._ Like she’s been cutting off part of her body and now she’s gained it back. Her perception is doubled as her mind processes this whole new set of stimuli. Together, they see and feel _everything_._ _

__But the urgency of the situation leaves her little time to enjoy it._ _

___Where is it?_ she asks as she runs across the room, following the signals in her mind. _ _

___I don’t know. I don’t know._ She feels his panic, and sends him a wave of calm, just until the crisis is resolved. _ _

___I’m coming. Don’t touch anything._ _ _

__As she runs closer and closer to Ben, the alarms turn angrier and louder. She is right on top of the source._ _

__But she’s right here and there is nothing._ _

___Unless…_ _ _

__There it is, hiding just out of sight._ _

__“BEN!” Rey shrieks as she sees the bomb. Compact, but dangerous, sitting in the tiny gap between his desk and the floor._ _

__He faces her, but does not process. And now it’s flashing red and they don’t have enough time._ _

__So she throws all caution to the winds and barrels into his chest, pushing him over his desk and onto the floor, using all her body weight to throw this man twice her size to the ground._ _

__As they hit the floor, the room explodes around them._ _

* * *

__When the smoke clears, his ears are ringing._ _

__It is only now that Ben can process why Rey was flying at him like a runaway train. She was protecting him, getting him as far from the blast radius as she could._ _

__Now his hands are braced against her hips, where he reflexively reached for support as they fell._ _

__She coughs smoke and dust out of her lungs, still clinging to his shoulders._ _

__“Are you okay?” she gasps._ _

__“I think so,” he mumbles. His eardrum is probably burst, and she crushed one of his wrists when she tackled him, but other than that he feels mostly unharmed. “Are you?”_ _

__She nods weakly, still clinging to his shoulders._ _

__As Ben looks down to gauge their situation, he sees a trickle of bright red blood running down his hand. _I’m bleeding,_ he thinks for a moment, but as his eyes follow it to this source, he realizes: it’s not him. _ _

__“Hold still, I think you’re hurt,” Ben grunts as he cautiously pushes Rey off him._ _

__“Is it bad?” she whispers._ _

__Even through her blouse and blazer, he can tell it’s bad. Several pieces of shrapnel are buried in her back, one of them quite deep._ _

__“No,” he lies. “Just hold still.”_ _

__“Other people might need help-”_ _

__“Shh. Please, just stay here.”_ _

__In his periphery, he processes the rest of the damage: the bomb was small, considering the size of the room, and the advance warning from him and Rey has mitigated the casualties. People are screaming and running for medics. There’s debris on the floor._ _

__But the rest of his attention is focused on Rey. Her shock is clearly wearing off, and she is starting to process the pain._ _

__“Where does it hurt?”_ _

__“Back,” she mumbles, gritting her teeth._ _

__Ben uses the pen knife in his pocket to cut away her clothes and look more closely at the wound._ _

__There’s an alarming amount of blood._ _

___Apply pressure. That will stop the bleeding._ _ _

__But won’t that push the shrapnel in further?_ _

__“Medic!” he roars. “We need a medic over here!”_ _

__Ray breathes heavily against the floor. “Ben?”_ _

__He squeezes her hand. “You’re okay,” he assures her, pressing his coat against her back while trying to avoid the shrapnel. “Just breathe, sweetheart.”_ _

__“Is anyone hurt-”_ _

__“Shh. Just breathe,” he repeats as blood soaks through his coat, red and warm and sticky. He doesn’t know how long they stay like that, adrenaline roaring in his ears, before two people show up with a stretcher._ _

__“We can take her from here, sir!”_ _

__His vision is shaky, his nerves shot._ _

__“Sir, please let us take her.”_ _

__Gently, a medic pushes his hands off Rey’s back and lifts her onto the stretcher._ _

__As they drag her away, she reaches towards him with one hand._ _

* * *

__Her head hurts and her vision is blurry. Machines beep around her._ _

__“Ben?”_ _

__“How are you feeling?”_ _

__Rey shifts and focuses her vision. “Leia.”_ _

__“You gave us a scare there.” The older woman, who’s helped Rey every step of the way, smiles,_ _

__“How long-”_ _

__“You’ve been out for six hours,” Leia tells her gently. “They pulled thirteen pieces of shrapnel out of your back. You burst an eardrum, too.”_ _

__Rey nods quietly._ _

__“Twelve people were injured, including you. No one was killed.”_ _

__Either the drugs or her own shock are keeping her from panicking. Everything from the moment she tackled Ben across the desk is a blur._ _

___Ben…_ _ _

__“Is Ben okay?”_ _

__Leia just looks at her for a moment._ _

__“The chancellor,” Rey remedies. “Is he okay?”_ _

__

__“He’s outside.”_ _

__Rey says nothing. She just remembers how for a sickening moment, she thought Ben was going to die, and she couldn’t imagine anything worse in the world._ _

__“Do you want to talk to him?”_ _

__“Yes.”_ _

* * *

__Ben had not spoken to his mother in five years._ _

__Not since they signed the same peace accords without even looking at each other._ _

__Now he is kneeling on the floor outside Rey’s hospital room, and has been for two hours, when Leia comes down the hallway._ _

__She starts for a moment upon seeing him, before recovering her composure and nodding cordially._ _

__“She just got out of surgery,” he explains._ _

__“How long have you been here?”_ _

__“I don’t know. Since they let me.” His wrist and right ear are both bandaged. “I can’t go in,” he adds._ _

__Leia raps quietly on the door, and is ushered in a moment later._ _

__Ben spends another two hours waiting._ _

__Someone brings him a chair at some point._ _

__The next time he is aware of his surroundings is when his mother steps out of Rey’s room._ _

__“She’s ready for you.”_ _

__Rey looks good, considering she just lost a liter of blood._ _

__“Hey.”_ _

__He sits next to her bed. “Hi.”_ _

__“You okay?”_ _

__“Broken wrist, burst eardrum, Could be worse.”_ _

__Rey leans against her pillow. “Yeah. It could.”_ _

__They’re silent for nearly a minute, just studying each other, relieved that the other is safe and alive._ _

__“You saved my life,” he says finally._ _

__“You and me saved the lives of everyone there,” Rey replies._ _

__“I could have gotten all of them killed.” Through the bond, which neither of them has yet closed, Rey can feel his fear and guilt. “The group that took responsibility. They were targeting me.”_ _

__Rey adjusts her back. “Why?”_ _

__“They didn’t like the idea of a criminal and murderer having a peaceful retirement,” he summarizes. “And in a way, they’re right.”_ _

__“Don’t say that,” Rey scolds. “Don’t say that, Ben.”_ _

__“No, it’s true.” He exhales slowly. “After the war, I tried and punished every one of them. Every traitor, thief, and war criminal, Resistance or Order. Now they’re all dead or locked up.” He shakes his head. “What do you do when you’re the last one?”_ _

__“I’m not saying you did nothing wrong, Ben,” Rey replies. “But what good would you be dead? Justice isn’t about punishment. It’s about healing. And for everything you had broken, you’ve healed a dozen more.”_ _

__He starts to protest, but Rey will have none of us._ _

__“We’re all on the same side now. And that side is peace. And anyone who fights against it is the real villain.”_ _

* * *

___”We’re all on the same side now. And that side is peace.”_ _ _

__Hours later, this is the official statement released from the hospital bed of the Senator from Jakku, denouncing the terrorist attack on the Senate building._ _

__“That’s perfect,” Ben says, turning off the HoloVid. No press has been allowed in any of the Coruscant hospitals since the attack, except one lone cameraman to film Rey’s statement._ _

__The damage from the bomb was shockingly low, thanks entirely to Rey. Ben knows he would be dead were it not for her. At the very least, he should be the one lying in that hospital bed._ _

__“Thank you for helping me.” The nurses didn’t want Rey filming that statement hours after coming out of surgery, but she wouldn’t take now for an answer._ _

__“Of course.” Rey is curling up to sleep, and he suddenly feels like an intruder. Her friends have all gone home, or back to Rey’s apartment to feed her cat, and it’s just him now. “Should I just…?” He gestures to the door._ _

__“Stay? She asks. “Just until I fall asleep,” she adds. “You don’t have to- not all night. I just don’t want to be alone.”_ _

__“Of course,” he whispers as he slips his hand into hers._ _

__Rey nuzzles his hand gently and closes her eyes. Ben watches her, waiting till she falls asleep._ _

__“We can be friends, Ben,” she says after several minutes of silence. “It’s been five years. We’re different people. I think we can be friends now.”_ _

__Yes, they can. They’re adults; they can be friends._ _

__But when Rey smiles at him as she falls asleep, he’s not sure they can._ _

* * *

__A month later, they’re back to work._ _

__The senate chamber is still being rebuilt after the attack, but will be up and running soon._ _

__Rey is mostly healed, but still needs painkillers, and has to walk with a cane for a little longer. The sizable scar from the wound will remain forever, but at least it’s not on display._ _

__Shock has blurred most of her memory of the bombing. Everything from after it went off is indistinct and vague. She’s avoided the footage, avoided every unnecessary reminder._ _

__Being able to talk to Ben makes everything easier. He’s a good friend to have; he doesn’t talk much but he is helpful and soothing when he does._ _

__They’re like-minded, and make each other happy when they’re together._ _

__In another universe, who knows what they could have been._ _

__Today is Ben’s last day as Chancellor of the New Galactic Senate. Tomorrow, his successor will be sworn in and Chancellor Amidala will leave the senate floor for good._ _

__He is only thirty-five, Rey thinks. He has his whole life ahead of him. Who knows what he could do with it?_ _

__Maybe he would get married._ _

__He could even start a family, if he wanted._ _

__Rey dismisses these thoughts from her mind as she taps on his door, wanting to see how he’s doing, saying good-bye to the organization he built and brought up and nurtured._ _

__“Come in.”_ _

__Rey slips in, closing the door behind her with a quiet _click._ _ _

__Ben is staring impassively out the window, onto the bustling city of Coruscant below. She can see he’s not really watching, just letting his eyes distract themselves with something._ _

__“How’s it going?” she asks sheepishly._ _

__“It’s over,” he replies coolly. “It’s- everything I’ve ever done here. No matter what happens after I leave, everything- I won’t do it anymore; it’s over.”_ _

__“It’s not over.” She attempts to soothe the nervous waves coming off him. “I mean, you did _so much_ here. And you got to leave when you were ready.”_ _

__He leans forward until his head is against the glass. “I wasn’t ready.”_ _

__When Rey is silent with confusion, he continues:_ _

__“I didn’t want to leave. I wasn’t ready to leave. I never would have left if I had a choice. But I didn’t, I built it so I didn’t. I built a place that someone like me would never belong in.” He looks at Rey and shakes his head. “I used to think you didn’t belong here. That you were too pure, too good. But now I see _I_ was the one who did not belong. You were strong enough to see what needed to be done and do it. I just filled an empty place of power.” _ _

__He exhales a long, slow breath that fogs the glass._ _

__Rey steps forward to place a hand on his arm. “I know a story, she begins. “About a man, whose people had cruel laws. So the people asked him to write a new set of laws. And he did. He spent years writing these laws, making sure they were just and good. And once he was done making these laws, he left his country for ten years. He would not go back, would not talk to anyone from his country about these laws._ _

__“Because he knew that his laws could only work if they worked _without_ him. If he was the only reason the laws were good, then they would be useless once he died. He wanted his laws to last forever. So the first thing he made sure of was that they did not need him._ _

__“You have built the senate; you have made it just and good. Now it’s time for you to go, to let it work on its own. Your job was never to make it work _now._ It was to make it work _forever_.”_ _

__Ben has slowly turned towards Rey, until they are barely an inch._ _

__“You’ve done a good job, Ben. Now you can go to do something else. You’re smart and brave and people listen to what you say.” She squeezes his hand. “You could make people happy, Ben.”_ _

___You could make me happy._ _ _

__“ _Stars,_ Rey,” are the only words that can pass his lips before they are on hers, passionate and demanding, and god, it’s _bliss._ _ _

__Rey groans softly as he pushes her into the wall, supporting her back delicately with his hands, while she tangles his hair between her fingers._ _

___”Ben.”_ _ _

__They stay like that, pressed into the wall, lips hungry and searching, until they can’t breathe for the intensity._ _

__Ben lets her go, gasping and warm, studying her frenzied eyes._ _

__They’re both lonely and needy and _sick_ with longing. Rey knows how this could go. She could invite him back to her apartment right now and he wouldn’t even think twice. They’ve both held this back for so long, keeping a desk or a room or an entire senate between them knowing what would happen if they let themselves get too close. _ _

__But that’s not how she wants this to start. That’s not how it _should_ start._ _

__So she gathers up her discarded briefcase and cane and mumbles a quick “I’ll see you tomorrow” before walking out as quickly as her shaking legs will carry her._ _

* * *

__The next day, Ben swears in his successor. Rey watches solemnly, making and breaking eye contact with Ben at least twenty times in half an hour._ _

__She just has to hold on for one more day. One more day and then she can just let whatever happens happen. Maybe even live a life for once._ _

__This one day gets harder to get through when she’s called in to witness the Chancellor sign his resignation._ _

__His pen scratches against the white paper, no ink coming out._ _

__“Do you need-?”_ _

__“No,” he grits out. “I’ve got it.”_ _

__But the pen remains obstinately dry, and she slips him one from her suit pocket._ _

__He signs the paper in one quick motion, then hands it back to a secretary. He returns the pen to Rey._ _

__“Keep it,” she urges. “It’s yours, really.”_ _

__Ben looks at her quizzically._ _

__“Five years ago, when I was signing the treaty,” she explains. “You gave that pen to me. It was almost out of ink, but I wouldn’t take a new pen. I knew if I left it there it would just get thrown away. It wasn’t broken, it just needed a little time.”_ _

__He fills in the rest._ _

___All we needed was a little time._ _ _

**Author's Note:**

> Title- Sahara, by Nightwish
> 
> The story Rey tells about the lawmaker is an adapted story about Solon of Athens. It's one of my favorite stories about a philosopher and worth looking up.
> 
> I spent a lot of time on this and really hope you like it! Please leave kudos and comments.


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